Welcome! This blog reflects more or less my description of living with Usher syndrome, my CI (cochlear implant) journey, my guide dog journey, and any random thoughts I may want to post.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

CI Pictures!! And More!!

Angel with Onyx:

Me, squinting in sunlight. I had taken off my sunglasses for this pix:

Onyx, lazying in the sun:

Grampa and Hubby on our deck (see the gazebo?) last weekend:

Graduation Day. Gramma M with Flare and Angel:

Graduation Day. Flare's BF, Mom (Me), and Flare:

Onyx, lazying by a flower bed as if to say, "What, it's a comfortable BED!!"

Graduation Day. Flare's BF and Flare:

Long awaited CI pictures:

Before pix: Hair is down

Before picture: See hairline behind the ear.... (so you can see how much or how NOT much was shaved off)

My beautiful head bra. (It's really more of a thick gauzy headband.) I look like a very sick, old fogey. I couldn't muster a smile. My face felt so HOT and I was nauseous from the pain killers, too. I can't believe I am uploading this pix for all to see. Ugh.

After: See hairline, not much shaved off. Can you see the incision behind the ear. I hadn't realized that I baretted some of the hair over the top part of the incision. When my hair is down, you really wouldn't be able to see the incision at all, but I keep my hair off of it anyway.

Me, smiling after I feel more like myself again (I know, the pix is shadowy and you can see I had kept the hair off my incision):

14 Comments:

Thanks for sharing the beautiful family and graduation pictures . Yeah I have pics of me with my head gear on too. Hard to smile. Your "after pic" is great!!!!!! You would not want to see how much they shaved me the year 1995. A lot!!!! But it grew back. I wanted people to ask me what was going on. But most do not..... I wanted to advertise!!!!! LOL Hang in there, you are a good patient. Waiting is difficult. Keep busy. HUGS Molly CC

Thanks, everyone. I always have this thing with pixs of me: I don't wee myself the way I do in the mirror. Oh, well. The camera doesn't lie. LOL. I tried shortening the pixs via Paint, a computer program, and that's why the pixs look choppy. I didn't think it'd do that. Maybe I'll try shortening the pixs when I scan them next.

Hey Shari the pics are GREAT! I agree with everyone else the incision looks awesome and not much of your hair was shaved at all! That is great. Sadly he shaved a lot of mine. Oh, well life goes on. Glad you are doing well. I can't wait to we get activated. It shall be interesting to compare notes. We will all have different experiences I'm sure!

Nice pictures! Your surgical site is pretty much the same as mine..except I had about 15 to 17 inches of hair (I have waist length) cut off. :-) So luckily, my surgeon is very minimal in shaving the area. Now I look funny with 3 inches of hair sticking out.

Karen, I admit I was a bit vain. I really thought he was going to shave off more than he did. I did have a lot of goop on it when I got the head bra off, though. so maybe that goop helped keep the hair out of the way? Then again, everyone got that goop, right?

I try to keep the incision clean so it doesn't get infected. I use the ointment, too.

Cyborg Queen-I am sure your hair will blend in soon and won't stand out. I have a layer of hair that just covers it, too, so no one will see the hair grow out.

Thanks, Kila. I can't see the incision so I just go by what everyone says. Glad you liked the pictures.

Jennifer-I like that quote, too. :) I will be sure to keep tabs on Amanda's journey. I'm glad you liked the video. :)

Hey now, that doesn't look too bad! You didn't have too much shaved off. I bet by now no one could tell you ever had surgery to begin with. These pictures really show who you are and you are sooo beautiful! :)

About Me

Living with a genetic disorder called Usher Syndrome Type II. It's a gamble-each parent must have the same gene to pass it on to the child. There's a one in four chance of passing it on. One is born with varying degrees of hearing loss and loss of sight caused by a retinal disorder called retinitis pigmentosa (RP).